Feed for fertilizer distributers



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(Model.

13-. M. ROOT. FEED POB FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTERS.

No. 512,906. Patented Jam-.16, 1894.

(Modem 2 Sheet s sheet 2.

B. M. ROOT. FEED FOR FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTBBS. No. 512,906. Patented Jan.16; 1894.

NITED STATES ATENT OFF-ion.

BENJAMIN M. ROOT, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

FEED FOR FERTILIZER-DISTRIBUTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 512,906, dated January16,1894. Application filed October 5, 1893, Serial No. 487,264. (ModeL)T0 on whom it may concern:

l 3e it known that I, BENJAMIN M. ROOT, a citlzen of the United States,residing at York, 1n the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Feeds forFertilizer-Distrlbuters, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

This invention relates to those devices used lnfertilizer distributersfor ejecting the fertilizer in regulated quantities, and one object ofthe invention is to provide means for keeping the fertilizer incondition to be ejected,

and another object is to provide an improved form of gate for regulatingthe size of the exit and, consequently, the'quantity of fertilizerejected.

The principle of myinvention as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, is shown as applied to that class of fertilizer feeds whichhave the exit at one side rather than at the bottom; and the devices forejecting the material are stirrers arranged at the upper por tion of themass of material, other stirrers arranged just above the discharge orexit, and still other stirrers arranged in the plane of the mouth of theexit, whereby the mass of fertilizer material is kept in a state ofagitation, as it were, and thereby prevented from caking oragglomerating and its ejection from the hopper insured. The severalstirrers are arranged upon a common spindle, and to them a rotary motionis imparted. The gate which is arranged in the mouth of the exit ordischarge is in the form of asegment of a cylinder, terminating at oneend in lateral flanges and at the other end in adjusting mechanism, andpivoted in such a manner as to be capable of being moved crosswise ofthe mouth of the discharge exit so as to contract or enlarge the saidmouth in accordance with the quantity of fertilizer desired to be fed.

Having thus stated the principle of my invention, I will proceed now todescribe the best mode in which I have contemplated applying thatprinciple, and then will particularly point out and distinctly claim thepart or improvement which I claim as my invention.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention, in the severalfigures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a topplan View with a portion of the exit cover broken out. Fig. 2 is avertical section taken in the plane of line m-w, Fig. 1, but with thestirrer spindle given a quarter turn from the position shown in Fig. 1.Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view. Fig. at is a perspective view of the gatemechanism detached; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the lowerstirrers.

' The hopper, the supporting frame therefor, and the other partsconstituting the framework, &;c., of a fertilizer distributor may be asusual. The bottom of the hopper is provided with a metal bed plate a,the center of which is depressed to form an annular bottomless cup I),and this cup is made with flanges c to receive the rotary feed disk d,provided with spurs or gear teeth 6, by which the said feed disk may berotated, as usual. This feed disk is further supported by-its hub f in abearing in a spider 9 cast with or attached to the cup I).

p h is a spindle, preferably square, and having a rounded end h whichfits in a round hole in the hubfof the feed disk and is se cured inplace by means of a nut and washer iapplied to the screwthreaded end ofthe said part h. The upper end of the spindle h is provided with acasting j titted, thereto, as by a split key It, and having at differentaltitudes and preferably at opposite sides the horizontally extendingstirrer arms Z, and these stirrer arms, by preference, have their outerends Z turned down or into substantially vertical planes, so as not onlyto agitate the mass in horizontal but also in vertical planes at theupper surface of such mass of fertilizer in the hopper, therebypreventing the agglomeration of the fertilizer in their vicinity.Another casting m is secured to the spindle h at its lower end, and thiscasting, as shown more particularly in detail in Fig. 5, comprises thetwo diametrically-opposite stirrer arms 7%, the plane of motion of whichis the top of the cover of the discharge mouth, as will presentlyappear, and two other diametrically-opposite and shorter stirrer arms 0,whose plane of motion is in the mouth of the discharge opening, as willpresently appear. This casting m is provided with an internal angularsocket m, which receives a correspondingly angular projection d from thefeed disk cl, so as to cause the spindle h to revolve with the feeddisk, although, as is obvious, other connections may be made whereby thespindle will revolve with the feed disk. It is obvious that the castingsj and m will be fitted to the spindle in such manner as to revolve withthe said spindle.

13 is the discharge opening and opposite the letter q, Fig. 2, is themouth leading from the feed disk into this discharge opening, the saidmouth being made in the cup 19 as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thedischarge 1) and mouth q are covered by a detachable cover,- plate 0'secured to the bed-plate a by bolts 0', or other suitable fastenings;and the said cover projects into the feed and overhangs the feed disk clsubstantially in the manner and to the extent indicated by the dottedline 2 in Fig. 1, and as particularly indicated in the section in Fig.2.

The gate 8 is made as a segment of a cylinder and is provided with aradius piece 8, which has its rotating center upon a lug r projectingfrom the bottom of the cover-plate 'r. The inner end of the gate 3 isprovided with a flange s projecting at an angle from opposite sides ofthe body of the gate and thereby adapted to stand crosswise of the mouthof the discharge opening. The other end of the gate is provided with anoperating device or handle 5 which is supplied with a bolt .9 and abutterfly nut .9 which bolt passes up through a segmental slot r in thecover-plate, and which butterfly nut is adapted to be turned downagainst an upwardlyprojecting rim 0 of the cover-plate to bind the gatein any given position. The gate projects through a suitable opening madein the cup I) and is adapted to be moved across the mouth of thedischarge opening and in the direction of its length to contract andenlarge the said mouth in accordance with the quantity of fertilizingmaterial desired to be fed or to close the said mouth entirely, ifdesired; and it will be observed in this connection that, inasmuch asthe flange 8 extends crosswise of this month, it will assist indischarging the fertilizer; or, in other words, will assist in theprevention of the clogging of the fertilizer in the discharge mouth.

The stirrers n operate in a horizontal plane substantially parallel withthe plane of the upper surface of the cover-plate 0', while the stirrers0 operate in a horizontal plane located substantially midway between thetop of the feed disk and the bottom of the cover-plate. Inasmuch as thestirrers Z operate upon the upper portion of the mass of fertilizer inthe hopper, and the stirrers m operate upon the fertilizer just abovethe discharge opening, and the stirrers 0 operate upon the fertilizer atits point of discharge, it follows that the mass of fertilizer is keptin a state of agitation and its agglomeration incident to its naturalcohesiveness, is prevented and the mass is kept constantly in a titstate to be readily and regularly fed or discharged from the hopper.

To facilitate the passage of the several stirrers through the mass offertilizer, the leading edges of the said stirrers are brought to aknife edge, as it were, and in order to present the least possibleresistance to the passage of the fertilizer, the edge of the cover 0"which extends into the feed is also brought to an ed e.

It will be observed that the gate and the cover-plate are connected soas to be removed together.

While I have shown the gate as applied to a single fertilizer feed andas being supplied with an adjusting device single to ltself, 1t 1sobvious that if the feed be used in a hopper supplied with a series offeeds, then any obvious and usual connection of the several gates in thesaid hopper may be made so that all of the said gates may be operatedsimilarly and simultaneously.

I have herein shown and described but one form of feed disk, but I wishit understood that I do not limit my invention to the particular form offeed disk shown. I wish it also to be understood as claiming, independ'ently of the stirrer arms, the gate, and vice versa, since the stirrerarms and the gate may be applied to other forms of fertilizer feeds;nevertheless I have obtained very marked advantages in the distributionof fertilizing material by the combination in a fertilizer distributerof my form of stirrers and my form of regulating gate. The claimshereinafter made are meant to be construed in accordance with thisstatement of the nature and applicability of my invention in its severaland combined features.

I am aware that fertilizer distributors have been provided with upperand lower stirrers, and I am also aware that fertilizerdistributers havebeen provided with ad ustable gates in their discharge mouths, and,therefore, I make no claim to such features, broadly considered; but-\VhatI claim is-- 1. In a feed for fertilizer distributors havm g alateral discharge mouth provided with a cover-plate, the combinationwith the rotary feed disk, of a spindle and stirrers, some of whichstirrers are arranged to rotate in the plane of the mouth,othersarranged to rotate in a plane parallel with the top of the cover of themouth, and others arranged to rotate in the upper portion of the mass ofmaterial in the hopper, substantially as described.

2. In a feed for fertilizer distribnters having a lateral dischargemouth, a pivoted gate constructed substantially as a segment of acylinder and having one end provided with a flange adapted to extendcrosswise of the discharge mouth and having its other end promouth andprovided with means for holding vided with adjusting mechanism,substanit in adjusted position, substantially as detiaily as described.scribed.

3. In a feed for fertilizer distributers, the In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set 5 combination with the bed-plate, feed disk and myhand this 4th day of October, A. D. 1893. I 5

discharge openin of a cover-plate for said discharge opening: a gate forsaid discharge BENJAMIN ROOT opening constructed as a segment of acylin- Witnesses:

der and pivoted to said cover-plate and F. U. CAMPBELL,

10 adapted to be adjusted in the discharge HARRY-P. MILLER.

